An OC refugee thought he had found a way to end his country's civil war. Then the FBI found his laptop computer

Murad stopped working at the warehouse and now has a job helping a Palestinian merchant with online sales. The businessman who rescued him from homelessness never followed up on his promise to help Murad gain access to a PC workstation so he could put the final touches on his study and deliver it to the FSA. While respectful of the efforts of the businessman and other exiles in Southern Californa to send humanitarian relief to Syria, he's frustrated nobody will help him to help the rebels win the war against al-Assad.

"They are just sending underarmed soldiers to get killed," he fumes. "This is what drives me crazy. You talk to people here, and they say, 'The one who dies goes to heaven'—the martyrdom concept, jihad, all that. But you can't face tanks with conventional RPGs or guns, and when someone dies in Syria, he's not going to heaven. He's not going anywhere. And now his children are orphans."

Murad adds that he's no longer certain the FSA are the heroes he once thought them to be. Their lack of will in opposing al-Qaeda-aligned militias troubles him. Ironically, he realizes, he tried to help those who, if in power, would likely oppress him. "At this point, I don't support any side," he says.

Kyle Monk

Kyle Monk

Murad: BFF of the FSA?

"I am an atheist and bisexual, and I am unstable, but I tried to help the rebels."

I admire the man's passion. I think that he reached the right conclusion in the end. Syria has become the latest magnet for Jihadists from all over the world. What was once a sympathetic cause for freedom from an oppressive terror-supporting dictator has for many turned into a cause to form the next Islamic Caliphate, slaughtering and kidnapping and raping not only Alawite civilians but Christians, Shia, atheists, homosexuals, aid workers, and anybody else that isn't pure.

Wow, in light of recent events, it is sure nice to know the government is allowing people such as this loser to remain in the country, I will sleep tight tonight... When will this soft admin be leaving?

The U.S. should give this guy asylum and treat him well. Assuming his analytical skills are good, he should be able find work using them here. Believe me, there are already plenty of eccentric immigrants working as numerical analysts in the halls of defense contractors in the U.S. He may have missed the time window to help the FSA but has plenty of time to redirect his passions to other productive work.

This reminds me somewhat of the story of Nguyet-Anh Duong. I think that "Murad" could take inspiration from her story and find a productive path in life. Ultimately through stabilizing his life and finding his own success first he will be better able to help those that he loves.

A former Vietnamese boat person is now a top explosives scientist for the military and the developer of the controversial "thermobaric" bomb.

@smp2010 That's ridiculous. He's not a radical islamist. He's the kind of person that the radical islamists hang from cranes in Tehran squares: Atheist, bisexual, apostate, perceived adulterer. I'm tempted to buy him a computer myself, but as he probably has already found out, nobody wants to be perceived to be involved with supporting the development of weapons for any overseas entity. Turn this dude into an American. It's the best path for him.